Stolen Glances and Last Appeals
by Scripturiens
Summary: Ichijouji Ken did not stare at people, but somehow this resolution mattered very little when Kido Jyou was around. [Story for the "Forbidden Love" challenge at the Proyecto 1-8 forum] [Jyou x Ken]


**AN:** This one-shot was written for the Valentine's Day challenge "Amores Imposibles" at the Proyecto 1-8 forum. A version in Spanish will be available as soon as I have time to re-write it, so there's that.

Length: 2,614 words (sans author's notes)

Character: Ichijouji Ken

**Disclaimer:** Digimon sadly does not belong to me.

* * *

Ichijouji Ken did not _stare_ at people.

It was simply not something he did. He found it crass and rude and God forbid anyone ever accused him of such a thing, but lately, he was finding himself coming dangerously close to doing just that – staring. As the object of his attention drew nearer, Ken did the only thing he could have done and scooted over to make room for Kido Jyou.

It wasn't that he liked Jyou-senpai. Well, he did like him but – but not like _that_, not like he liked Miyako, or like he had (for a very brief time and completely unbeknownst to Yamato) liked Mimi. He just _really_ enjoyed hearing him talk about his classes down at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and share the wealth of knowledge he kept amassing. There was just something very gratifying about listening to Jyou speak, Ken decided.

The catalyst, he thought, was the day Daisuke had twisted an ankle and then stubbornly refused medical attention. Miyako had been screaming at him for being such a clutz and Iori was rolling his eyes, chiding Daisuke for being such a _child_. It hadn't occurred to anyone to call Jyou until Ken himself wondered if he wouldn't be free. After all, they were very close to his university, it was worth a try. Hikari had gotten a hold of him and in less than five minutes, Kido Jyou was briskly walking towards them, an emergency First Aid kit on his right hand.

His dark blue eyes scanned Daisuke's teary and blushing face and his look of worry melted into something akin to recognisance. As if he had seen this happen many times, to someone else. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Miyako, unsurprisingly, had been the first to talk. "Stupid Daisuke was trying to climb that stupid tree – God knows who he wanted to impress with that stunt – " she didn't say, but she looked pointedly and Hikari, who only blinked, surprised.

But Jyou only gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Miyako-chan," he told her, "But would you mind letting Daisuke explain?"

Ken paid very little attention to what Daisuke was saying, too lost in the sudden change on his friend's face to pay heed to his words. Daisuke was no longer aggravated and he had even forgotten, for a moment, that he was supposed to be in pain. Jyou's hands gently probed his now swollen ankle, poking in some places and pressing others, and all the while he was overlooking an excited Daisuke who occasionally winced but never stopped telling his epic adventure of climbing an impossibly high, impossibly tricky oak tree, and Jyou never stopped listening.

"Can you stand?" Jyou asked him, "I need to run to the student clinic for something but I'd hate to miss the rest of your story…" he trailed off, "Would you mind?"

"What? Of course I can stand – hey, TJ, make yourself useful, yeah?"

Takeru sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's _TK_," he grumbled, "And it's _Takeru_, for you, coincidentally." But he helped his friend up and acted as a crutch for him. Daisuke stumbled but was able to hold himself up with Takeru's help; he threw Hikari a self-sufficient grin. His right foot was now so swollen it would not fit his shoe.

"Would you guys mind coming with?" Jyou asked, his voice betraying nothing of the conspiracy going on in his eyes.

"Not at all," Hikari replied in a good-natured way, "Lead the way, Jyou-senpai."

Ken had trouble believing how willing Daisuke was, how he realised too late that the trip to the student clinic was for his sake. And even then, Jyou had been so easy-going and calm as he informed Daisuke that he'd probably need an X-ray scan and that he'd get to try out all these cool machines and then he'd even get a cool cast of his own!

Girls, Daisuke told Ken, _love_ a man who's fought a war and has wounds to show it.

Ken politely declined to point out that falling out of an old tree hardly constituted as a war fought, but Miyako was less gentle than him, and thus the screaming match had begun anew. They had been forced by a stern nurse to wait outside, but Ken watched through the glass door as Jyou remained by Daisuke's side, laughing and keeping him distracted as his leg was set in a cast. He'd make a wonderful paediatrician one day, Ken decided, wondering if the thought had occurred to Jyou as well.

Since that day his quiet respect for Jyou-senpai had grown into admiration, and then into a certain fondness for him. Whenever they could meet up with their older friends and Jyou was unable to make it he couldn't help feeling a little sad, a little touched that he wasn't going to be there. Ken didn't say anything on such occasions, but he made a point to tell Jyou-senpai he had been missed whenever he did come around. Sometimes, he reminded him of Osamu, but there was something else, something so inherently _his_, and that was what Ken truly liked about him.

As he pored over thick books and reviewed university options with slight disinterest, Ken became acutely aware of a presence nearing his table at the Hibuya Library. He looked up, his eyes meeting the distracted gaze of Kido Jyou as he carried books that were certainly too heavy for his arms and muttered unintelligible gibberish.

"Jyou-senpai?"

The young man started, surprised. "Oh," his gaze focused, "Ken-chan. I'm sorry, I hadn't seen you there."

"Let me help you with that." Ken stood, taking two of his books from his arms and setting them neatly on the table. "You were looking for a place to sit?"

"Just for a while," Jyou sighed, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, senpai," Ken replied happily, his lips curling upwards despite his desire to remain stoic and quietly respectful. "I didn't expect to find you in Tamachi."

"Oh, I'm usually not," Jyou replied offhandedly, "I was just looking for a textbook. They've got a great selection in the Seifu Kankoubutsu Centre."

He followed Ken's gaze towards the other thick volumes he had been carrying and chuckled a bit. "I thought I'd get some work done while I was here. You know, a change of scenery is always welcome, even if it _is_ just another library." He leaned back on his chair, relaxing as he pushed his frames over his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. Jyou had grown taller than his friends, though he was no longer a thin and mean-looking thing. He'd become quite dashing, with his ever crisp clothes and neat hair. So much, in fact, that the constant bags under his eyes gave him a bit of an edge instead of making him look dishevelled. It didn't take much for Ken to imagine him wearing a white robe and his glasses, looking as the world's most handsome and best doctor. Ken averted his eyes, ashamed at the silly thought.

He missed the blush, but only because he was looking at Ken's own mess at the table.

"May I?" he asked, but he didn't wait before picking up one of the letters peeking out from under one book. His elegant eyebrows shot up. "You were admitted to Nagoya," he commented, impressed. "_And_ on a full scholarship. Congratulations, Ken-chan!"

Ken flushed even more furiously. "Thank you, Jyou-senpai."

"Did you apply elsewhere?" Jyou asked.

The younger boy nodded once. "I applied to Waseda, Kyoto, the University of Tokyo and … Keio, too."

Jyou's eyebrows went even further up. "I thought Nagoya was what you were aiming for," he looked sheepish, as though ashamed to have assumed so much. "Now I see it was your safety option?" he shot Ken a curious look.

"They were very complimentary of their campus," Ken replied, embarrassed. "I felt bad saying no, so I applied as well."

When he heard the first peals of laughter coming from his senpai's mouth, Ken was unable to look away. He looked so relaxed, so at peace with himself and so happy to be sharing this moment with Ken that he found that he too, was laughing. Slowly and easily, all traces of boredom and suffocation melted from him.

"That was very noble of you," Jyou said, clearing a tear from the corner of his left eye.

Ken delighted in the compliment, however ironic it may have been.

"Senpai?" he suddenly asked, timid. "Could you tell me why you want to become a doctor?"

Jyou was still nursing a smile when he looked back at Ken, surprised at the zealous look in his blue eyes. He paused, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought. "Medicine is almost a Kido family tradition, so initially it was just that. But then I realised I like helping people," he said simply. "I was never the strongest or the fastest, but I was pretty clever when I had to be." He shrugged. "And when you're good at something and you love it, then I guess I've always thought you should do it."

Ken seemed to ponder this, but then shook his head. "I'd like to help people too but," he sighed, "I don't think I'm suited for a medical career."

"You don't think you're suited?"

"I might be," he corrected, "But I'm not interested. I'm sorry, senpai." He averted his eyes again, embarrassed to tell his senpai that he was not interested in pursuing his career. But whatever he was expecting, it certainly wasn't that Jyou would chuckle and place a comforting hand on his head. Ken's heart skipped a beat at the contact, and he shuffled uncomfortably in his seat.

"But Ken-chan, you don't _have to_ study medicine," he said, "There are so many other ways in which you can help people. Being a doctor is just one of them. Have you thought of something else you'd like?"

"I was thinking something in law enforcement," Ken admitted, his voice steadily growing smaller. "But … you know what I've done and I'm not sure I can handle wielding any kind of authority since …"

Jyou shot him a stern look, and his smile was gone.

"You're a good kid, Ken-chan," he said, his kind tone giving way to a gentle smile as he stood, carefully replacing his glasses on his face. "I trust you. You should do the same."

He stood then, thanking Ken both for the help and the delightful company, offered his congratulations and good wishes and grabbed his things, rapidly disappearing from Ken's sight.

Months later, he was still thinking about his conversation with Jyou-senpai, even while Mimi was talking with her pretty pink mouth moving delicately in front of him as most of the others busied themselves with food, or enjoying the cool summer breeze.

"Ichijouji-chan," she scolded, "Are you even listening to me?"

He winced at the sound of his last name, shaking his head and blushing profusely. "Forgive me, Mimi-san," he said, and he meant it. "I spaced out for a moment. It's been a hard couple of weeks."

She gave in, unable to keep up the sour face when he was blushing so sweetly. "That's quite alright," she told him, "I'm sure they keep you very busy in the academy. However did you decide to join the force?"

"I probably inspired him," Yamato said offhandedly, waving a lazy hand without moving his eyes away from his book.

His girlfriend rolled his eyes, shaking her head. "I swear, you get worse every time someone happens to recognises you."

"I can't help being an idol, Mi-rin," Yamato said, though his tone was sweeter this time.

"Yeah, yeah," Mimi muttered, "You can't help being an _egoist_."

But nobody failed to notice that the word was said softly, almost endearingly. Ken watched them for a moment, smiling at the sweet, familiar way in which they talked to and about each other. Sometimes it still surprised him how Yamato-san could melt in Mimi-san's hands, or how she managed to remain sweet even when he was being cold.

"It was actually thanks to Jyou-senpai," he said, taking notice of her still expectant expression. "He helped me make the decision."

"Jyou-san?" Mimi asked surprised. "Oh, that is so sweet. Jyou-san is Ken-chan's hero, Yama-kun, did you hear?"

Raising an eyebrow from over his book, Yamato looked at Ken's growing face of horror with certain amusement. "I heard, Mi-rin. I didn't know you were so fond of our dear Kido."

"I'm – I'm not." Ken stuttered.

"You don't like Jyou?" Mimi asked, one hand to her chest as though he had struck her.

"No! – I mean, I do."

"You do?" Yamato asked, his eyebrow going so high up Ken was afraid it would get lost in his hairline.

"No, I don't – God, what are you even talking about?"

"Oh, look Yama-kun, he's _blushing_. How absolutely _precious_."

"Who's blushing?" Miyako asked as she joined the conversation, looping her arm casually through Ken's. "Why are _you_ blushing?"

"I'm not!" he protested, his face at odds with his words, "You're_ evil_."

"Ken-chan likes Jyou-san," Mimi said simply.

"I do not!"

"Why not? Kekun, that is so _mean_," Miyako chided him, "Jyou-senpai is so nice – and handsome, too."

"I know that –"

"– you do?"

"No, I don't – ahh, I _hate_ you both. You don't let me explain myself."

"Okay," Yamato said, dog-earing his book and closing it shut. "Explain yourself."

Ken paused, took a deep breath to collect his nerves and opened his mouth. "I do like Jyou-senpai," he explained slowly, making sure they wouldn't misinterpret his words this time, "Just not like – like _that_."

"What exactly is _that?_" Yamato asked. "Like the way you like Miya-chan?"

"Or the way Yama-kun likes me?" Mimi offered, batting her eyelashes at her boyfriend. Yamato only offered her a sweet half-smile, curling a lock of hair around one of his fingers. He released it before looking back at Ken, the sweet look gone.

"I don't like Miya-chan like that!" Ken gasped, horrified at the implications of all that eyelash-batting and hair-curling business.

"You don't?!" Miyako squealed, standing up so fast he barely had time to collect himself and avoid falling backwards into the grass. "Ichijouji Ken, you insensitive dolt." And before he could stop her she stalked off, blades of grass practically springing in flames where she stood.

"Miya-chan! Wait!"

"Between Jyou and Miyako," Yamato finally said, opening his book again, "I'd say you have a better shot with Miyako, so you should probably go apologise now."

Ken stood, unable to really understand what had just happened and, with nothing left to say to the evil couple he made a dash towards Miyako, wondering how on earth he, who had once been the terrifying Digimon Kaiser, was roped into such a childish trap by _those two,_ who looked for the world as any normal human couple would.

But Ken knew better.

After much apologising and some grovelling, Miyako had finally forgiven him, placing a sweet kiss on his cheek, which earned wolf-whistles from his friends and a thumbs up from Daisuke. He stopped as he saw Jyou in the distance, busying himself over the food and begging Daisuke to _please be more careful with that soccer ball_. Without meaning to he smiled again, his heart full of fond memories of his senpai but when his gaze was met with the smirking faces of Yamato and Mimi, who were wiggling their eyebrows suggestively as their eyes darted from him to Jyou, Ken's face melted into a scowl.

This, he thought, was why he didn't like staring at people for too long.

* * *

**AN: **I decided to include these notes at the end of the fic rather than the beginning because I don't want to influence your feelings about it; you should be able to judge if my point came across smoothly. I will certainly appreciate your comments and reviews, though!

[1] The inspiration for this piece, despite the serious romantic connotations, is the attraction that Li Syaoran (from Cardcaptors Sakura) felt for Tsukishiro Yukito at some point both in the anime and manga. In that case he was magically attracted to the magical energies of the moon residing in Yukito's inner persona, Yue, as Syaoran himself drew his power from the moon. Of course in this case, Ken is attracted to Jyou's personality and his feelings are of deep admiration and respect (wishing for his attention and praise) like a child feels towards a hero, perhaps, though he has certainly noted he is one handsome little devil, too.

[2] Seifu Kankoubutsu Service Centre is a real place in the Tamachi district in Tokyo, though the books may be less medically-inclined than I inferred.

[3] All the universities mentioned are real universities too, all in Japan's top 5 universities. Ken is a lucky son of a gun.

[4] Kekun is the natural pronounciation of Ken-kun, I think. Some letters melt in order to make words easier to roll off the tongue.

[5] I think adding the words "impossible love" to Ken's feelings is a bit like cheating, so I opted out, settling instead for Yamato's simple observation: _"Between Jyou and Miyako, I'd say you have a better shot with Miyako."_

Happy Valentine's Day!


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